DHAKA — Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting Chairman Tarique Rahman returned from nearly 17 years in exile on Thursday ahead of landmark general elections.
The 60-year-old son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia isthe front-runner to be the next prime minister as the BNP is eyeing a return to power when Bangladesh goes to the polls in February next year.
His homecoming also carries personal urgency, with Khaleda seriously ill for months.

Hundreds of thousands of supporters lined the route from Dhaka’s airport to the reception venue, waving party flags and carrying placards, banners and flowers, while chanting slogans welcoming Rahman, as senior BNP leaders received him at the airport under tight security.
Dressed in a light grey, finely checkered blazer over a crisp white shirt, Rahman exited the airport, removed his shoes to step barefoot onto Bangladeshi soil, and picked up a handful of earth in a symbolic gesture marking his return to the South Asian nation.
He was seen standing beside the driver’s seat in a bus taking him to the reception venue, smiling and waving as crowds surged to catch a glimpse of their returning leader.
Rahman's return comes in the wake of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina being ousted last year.
Rahman was convicted in absentia on charges that included money laundering and in a case linked to an alleged plot to assassinate Sheikh Hasina. The rulings were overturned after Hasina was ousted last year in a student-led uprising, clearing the legal barriers to his return.
Hasina is living in exile in India and her party is unlikely to be permitted to take part in the elections.
Last month, Hasina was sentenced to death for her role in suppressing anti-government protests.
According to UN investigators, up to 1,400 people died in the student-led unrest.
Hasina, who was put on trial in absentia, has denied committing crimes against humanity. — Agencies